Danny Howells - September

Danny Howells - September
Despite including many original productions on his recent Renaissance: The Mix Collection set, Danny Howells' debut track for his brand new Dig Deeper imprint didn't make the cut. You only need to listen to a few seconds of this epic track's 13+ minutes to hear why: "September" just wasn't made for mix CD consumption. A largely beatless excursion into the outer worlds of cosmic synthdom, it's Howells indulging every bit of his love for over-the-top gestures—done tastefully, of course—and wringing every tiny morsel of drama he can out of its skyward-looking melodies. You can't put this thing on a mix CD. You need to hear the whole thing to get the point.

Which is to say, "September" is an arms aloft moment, one for slowly swaying back and forth as the music takes you elsewhere. Tangerine Dream is a reference point. So is Williams' 2008 cover of the Dream's "Love on a Real Train." But perhaps that latter comparison is better suited to Future Beat Alliance's remix of "September." FBA is in his element with wispy source material. This is, after all, a producer that's put stuff out on Delsin. Nonetheless, FBA puts some meat onto "September"'s bones from the off with a sturdy tech house beat. He hangs the synth lines on top of the framework, watching how they interact with the beat and with each other. By track's end, it's just as involving as Howells' original and just as grandiose.